Federal Way teen drowns at Steel Lake

A Federal Way teenager has died after being rescued Sunday from Steel Lake.

Tope Akinlosotu, 15, was taken to St. Francis Hospital in serious condition on Aug. 5. The Mirror confirmed that Tope has died despite efforts at the hospital to save him.

Tope was a student at Federal Way High School and the son of Matthew Akinlosotu. Multiple posts on Facebook expressed grief for the teen and his family.

South King Fire and Rescue's surface water crews canvassed the lake and found the teen under the dock, submerged in 12 feet of water. He was rescued at 2:44 p.m. Sunday, nearly 30 minutes after the first call for help. Medics performed CPR and life support at the scene, and were able to get a heartbeat.

According to a Federal Way police report, Tope and a group of friends met at Steel Lake Park to go swimming. A friend said Tope sat on the dock and dangled his feet over the edge before he suddenly slid into the water. The friend never saw Tope come up and began looking for him. Another witness reported that she heard Tope say "I can't float" and "How do you kick in the water?"

A lifeguard saw the commotion and cleared people out of the water, according to the police report. The lifeguards on duty searched for Tope before police and rescue workers arrived.

Several people described Tope as a friendly and outgoing teen. Tope was a gifted track and field athlete who also played football. The soon-to-be sophomore was active in student life at Federal Way High School, and was enrolled in the academically rigorous Cambridge Program.

"This kid was going places," said family friend and Federal Way author Nandell Palmer. "He was very charismatic, very outgoing, very caring and considerate."

Steel Lake was the scene of another drowning in July. Rescuers found 17-year-old Prabhakar Kumar in 12 feet of water. He had been submerged for nearly 15 minutes, and later died at the hospital.

We encourage an open exchange of ideas on this story's topic, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. Personal attacks, inappropriate language, and off-topic comments may be removed, and comment privileges revoked, per our Terms of Use. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.